Lake Sebu

Overview

Lake Sebu sits high in South Cotabato, a calm lake at the center of the T'boli homeland and a recognized biosphere reserve. Travelers come for its lotus-covered water at dawn, the Seven Falls and the long zipline that crosses their gorge, and the weaving villages where T'boli women produce tnalak cloth. The crater lake of Holon, reached on a hike, and the cool mountain air make the highlands a welcome change from the coast.

Standout experiences

• 01 Seven Falls zipline

  A long cable crossing the gorge above the falls, one of the region's signature thrills.

• 02 Lotus garden cruise

  A dawn paddle among the lake's lotus beds, with T'boli fishermen poling dugout canoes.

• 03 T'boli weaving villages

  Villages where tnalak cloth is woven by hand, with the chance to buy directly from the makers.

• 04 Lake Holon

  A crater lake reached on a hike, often done as an overnight in the highlands.

• 05 Highland air and food

  Cool nights and local highland cooking that reward an overnight stay.

Getting there

Lake Sebu sits in the highlands of South Cotabato, with General Santos International Airport (GES) as the nearest air gateway. From the airport, a Yellow Bus runs to Koronadal, also called Marbel, in about one to 1.5 hours, then a van continues to Lake Sebu in about an hour.

When to go

At about 1,000 meters above sea level, Lake Sebu runs cooler than the coast, with mean daily highs near 26 °C and lows of 19 to 21 °C. Rain is heavy from May through November and peaks in June at roughly 397 millimeters; February, at about 121 millimeters, is the driest month.